Chapter 1639: The Patient Inside the Little Wooden House of Territory Three

Handing the territory over to Lao Da and Wolf Lao Er, Xia Qing took Seeing Xin Yu and entered Mountain Forty-Nine.

The place they were going this time was not far from the territory. If anything abnormal happened inside the territory, Wolf Lao Er—whose hearing, sight, and sense of smell all surpassed those of humans—would notice immediately, and with a single howl Xia Qing could return to the territory within two minutes. So there was no need to have Beard Feng's squad come over to help keep watch.

Xia Qing and Seeing Xin Yu arrived at the big pine tree in Section Five of Mountain Forty-Nine and found that the person the Idol Faction had sent over was a researcher from Territory Seven, student and assistant of Zhang Song—Zhang Zhang.

"Qing-jie, Miss Xin." Zhang Zhang greeted the two of them and began to explain. "After testing, the direct cause of the patient's severe diarrhea is the high concentration of mutated microorganisms and abnormal biological toxins in the Evolution Forest, far exceeding the tolerance limit of its fragile intestinal flora. The reason it managed to hold on for a week inside the Evolution Forest is that the broad-spectrum symbiotic enhancement vaccine it was inoculated with beforehand played a decisive protective role. Otherwise, it might have died within just a few hours of entering the Evolution Forest."

"The vaccine failed?" Xia Qing hadn't expected a high-level evolved animal to have such weak resistance.

Zhang Zhang nodded. "The enhancement mechanism of this kind of vaccine decays to below the critical threshold in about two months."

Xia Qing continued to ask, "Does it need to keep getting the original vaccine injections?"

Hearing this question, Zhang Zhang squared his shoulders. Seeing Xin Yu, standing behind Xia Qing, sensed that Zhang Zhang's magnetic field was fluctuating noticeably. Combined with his movements, Seeing Xin Yu confirmed that Zhang Zhang's current emotional fluctuation was—confidence.

"The original vaccine is effective, but long-term use will cause immune hyperactivity and irreversible suppression of the intestinal flora. If Qing-jie agrees, once I get back, I'll use the test data from this golden snub-nosed monkey to formulate a dedicated vaccine with milder side effects, and complete the injections within two days."

"Zhang-ge can go back and report to Third Brother, let Third Brother decide. Thanks for your hard work." Xia Qing didn't doubt Zhang Zhang's ability; she was only worried about the cost of the new vaccine. But the matter of price required Xia Qing to discuss it directly with the Idol.

"Not at all. Thank you, Qing-jie, for giving us this research opportunity." Zhang Zhang thanked her very sincerely, carefully explained the key points of caring for the golden snub-nosed monkey, then cast one reluctant glance at the big tree.

From this angle, Zhang Zhang couldn't see the well-hidden little tree nest, let alone that precious high-level evolved golden snub-nosed monkey. He could only bid farewell and walk toward the Territory Seven guard who had brought him over.

The elastic-evolution guard from Territory Seven greeted Xia Qing, hoisted Zhang Zhang, and left Section Five of Mountain Forty-Nine. He then easily leaped over the iron-net wall of the northern Section One, landed precisely outside the north gate of Territory Seven, passed through security, returned to the territory, and set Zhang Zhang down at the entrance of the laboratory building.

Zhang Zhang hurried back to the lab to test samples and write his report. The living conditions of the golden snub-nosed monkey were far too poor. Zhang Zhang was determined to help his mentor send the obstructive expedition team away as soon as possible, so that they could bring this precious golden snub-nosed monkey back to Territory Seven for full-course treatment and care.

Section Five of Mountain Forty-Nine.

Seeing Xin Yu glanced through the blinds at the golden snub-nosed monkey shivering in terror inside the little treehouse, then climbed down the tree to avoid further agitating this pretty little monkey.

Xia Qing sat on a tree branch and communicated with the golden snub-nosed monkey inside the little treehouse. "Blue-face, do you still remember me? I'm the human, Xia Qing."

Having recovered a little after the IV drip, the blue-faced golden snub-nosed monkey huddled in the corner of the wooden house farthest from Xia Qing, shivering. It took a full half-minute before it gave a small nod.

At that moment, the golden light of the setting sun happened to pass through the snow-laden, drooping pine branches, slicing in at an angle through the blinds of the little wooden house and falling on the little monkey's fluffy golden-yellow fur.

Xia Qing, a visual evolver, clearly saw the curve of the shoulder blade beneath this little monkey's fur. She softened her tone and began to explain the current situation to this fragile yet beautiful little monkey.

"You were having diarrhea in the basin of Mountain Sixty-Seven, and Does Daigua found you… Do you remember Does Daigua? It's friends with Xiong Wang and the little greedy bear—they're all my friends."

Xia Qing took out her phone, scrolled to photos of Does Daigua and the big and little bears, and held them out for the blue-faced golden snub-nosed monkey to see. After confirming it remembered these animals, she continued to explain why the blue-faced golden snub-nosed monkey was here.

"Your body has a problem, and you must receive treatment. Blue-face, you now have two choices."

After explaining clearly, Xia Qing extended her left hand. This was one of the ways Hui Qi trained monkeys—a communication method this kind of little monkey had already mastered.

"This side: you join the team of that human doctor who was just here. They'll be responsible for curing your illness and provide you with food and shelter."

Then Xia Qing extended her right hand. "This side: you don't join that human doctor's team. After your illness is cured, you return to the basin of Mountain Sixty-Seven and continue living with Does Daigua and the others, or go wherever else you want to go."

The blue-faced golden snub-nosed little monkey didn't hesitate for even a second this time. It shifted the eyes lit up by the setting sun and fixed them precisely on Xia Qing's right hand.

"Good. You've chosen to return to the basin after your illness is cured. Once you're well, I'll take you back." Xia Qing pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and let the little monkey—whose eyes were both lit by the setting sun—look at it.

"Blue-face, on January 14 of Year 12 of the Calamity, I rescued you on Mountain Sixty-Six and treated your wounds. You owed me 3,680 credits. This is your own paw print. Do you remember?"

Seeing Xin Yu beneath the tree…

The little monkey nodded shakily.

"Very good."

Xia Qing, sitting cross-legged on the tree branch, put away the IOU and pulled out a small notebook to write. "This is my territory. The wooden house you're recuperating in was built by me. You need to pay me 200 credits per day in lodging fees. The food, water, medicine, and warmth measures during your stay here for treatment will also be provided by me. We'll settle the credits after your illness is cured. Sign here first."

Xia Qing handed the paper into the little wooden house.

Once shy, twice familiar. The brain-domain-evolved blue-faced little monkey didn't need Xia Qing to remind it—it dipped its paw in the ink pad and pressed a paw print on the paper.

"Very good, Blue-face, you're really so smart." Xia Qing put away the notebook and began to explain how to use this wooden house sickroom.

"This is the movable door. When you want to come out, pull this latch; when you go back in, push it in. It can keep you safe. Come over here and try… Excellent, Blue-face, you're very smart!"

Seeing Xin Yu, a Class C magnetic-sense evolver standing beneath the tree, keenly sensed that the blue-faced golden snub-nosed monkey in the tree, upon discovering that it could open the wooden door's latch and come and go freely, had shifted from fear and unease to pleasant surprise. This golden snub-nosed monkey was very afraid of being locked up by humans again.

Xia Qing in the tree couldn't sense the changes in the blue-faced golden snub-nosed monkey's magnetic field. After confirming the blue-faced golden snub-nosed monkey had learned to open and close the door, she earnestly instructed, "Blue-face, while you're recuperating here, try not to leave the treehouse, because there are lynxes and red foxes in this Evolution Forest."

The golden snub-nosed little monkey in the treehouse, no longer trembling but still weak, nodded its little head hard, lit up by the setting sun.

"When you need to poop or pee, open this wooden board, and the waste will fall into the bag below." Xia Qing reached her hand into the wooden house, and the little fellow was scared back into the corner again. Xia Qing knew it was afraid. After teaching it how to lift the wooden board in the corner and then close it again, she withdrew from the treehouse and said calmly, "Blue-face, try opening it yourself."

The golden snub-nosed little monkey used its furry little paw to open that wooden board very smoothly.

This little monkey's situation was far better than when Does Daigua was hospitalized! Xia Qing immediately gave her approval. "Very good! Blue-face, you're really a wonderful golden snub-nosed monkey. After you finish, just close the wooden board. The smell of the waste will be sealed inside the bag, won't attract enemies, and the contaminants won't spread."

Xia Qing pulled out a small sleeping bag and handed it in. "This is a warm sleeping bag. Climb in and try it—is it warm?"

Seeing Xin Yu beneath the tree sensed the pleasant magnetic field emanating from the blue-faced golden snub-nosed little monkey, and the corners of her mouth lifted too. What an easily satisfied little fellow.

"This is an insulated water bag. Drink when you're thirsty. I'll bring it to you twice a day… This is green-light food…"

When Xia Qing finished her instructions and left the treehouse to climb down, Seeing Xin Yu noticed that the golden snub-nosed monkey's magnetic field in the tree was first pleasant surprise, then—upon realizing Xia Qing was really leaving—became complicated.

This kind of complicated magnetic field change, Seeing Xin Yu often sensed in humans. The gap between brain-domain-evolved animals and humans really was getting smaller and smaller.

She silently followed beside Xia Qing, imagining what Blue Star's future would look like if things continued to develop along these lines.